Winners For

Best Fries

The slender skin-on potatoes at Szmania's should probably be called French fries fries, since Ludger Szmania insists on frying the hand-cut beauts twice. But the potatoes first spend a night soaking in ice water, which leaches out the starches that might otherwise interfere with the fries' reaching maximum crispness. The regime works: Szmania's ...

Come closing time, especially on weekends, Pike Street Fish Fry is full of people eager to get their drunken paws on catfish sandwiches and battered halibut. But the French fries are just as good as—if not better than—the seafood, and are just as tasty at lunch when you're (presumably) completely sober. The potatoes are soaked, sliced, and blanc...

A joint that has the guts to fry its burgers understands the alchemy of hot oil. Katsu's shoestring fries—you can order them up plain, although they're even better with curry powder or nori flakes—are near-perfect examples of the genre. There's an array of dipping sauces, but no one will tell if you drag a crisp fry through your green tea milksh...

Skillet ratchets up the value of their tasty french fries by serving it with extras: The poutine, a carryover staple from the food truck, probably wouldn't be recognized as such by a Québécois, which means there's more of the extraordinary snack for eaters who don't let semantics interfere with their enjoyment of a perfectly fried potato. Skille...

Entrées at Shultzy's are accompanied by the so-called "World's Best Shoestring Fries," and they live up to their ambitiously golden-brown expectations. A sweet potato option is conveniently provided, but don't feel the need to stray away from the classic. The regular fries, perfectly crisped and salted, are as addictive as bar peanuts. Try dippi...

Cafe Presse does a lot of things well—artful salads, late-night dining, buttery baguette sandwiches—and French fries are naturally one of them. Some dishes, like the steak frites and the roast chicken, come with a side of fries, but some do not, which is why it's lucky that the savory pommes-frites are served morning, afternoon, and night by the...

This artisan wurst shop in Westlake offers up over 25 varieties of sausage and some stellar Belgian-style frites to alongside them. The potoates are double-fried to a golden, crunchy perfection, and best of all, they come accompanied with your choice of one of the Wurst Place's many custom dipping sauces, which run the gamut from basil mayonnais...

The presence of hot mustard on the Golden Beetle's za'atar-spiced French-fry plate makes an order inevitable. But the steaming hot fries are so good that it seems blasphemous to contemplate dipping. Burnished with beef fat, the glossy, skin-on fries twinkle with sumac and salt. They're so fabulous that owner Marina Hines had to invent a burger-l...

Safeco Field's fry scene improved considerably with the 2011 arrival of Ethan Stowell's frites in The 'Pen. The skin-on frites, which come alongside Stowell's 6.5 ounce, grass-fed hamburger, are served with a boat of creamy garlic dipping sauce. You might end up eating so many you'll forget to save room for one of Stowell's Parisian crepes for d...

The Honey Hole's hot, meaty sandwiches deserve the credit for the mouth-watering aroma that's always drifting out of the restaurant. But their French fries are equally laud-worthy: They're thick and potatoey, not overly greasy, and if you're feeling extra-hungry or need a dish for the whole table to share, you can order a batch topped with veget...

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: The french fries at Church & State are the tops. Chef Walter Manzke might have stepped away from the stoves, but the bistro's fries, made of frozen, quarter-inch russets and fried in a mixture that includes lard (sorry, vegetarians), carry on his legacy at the corner of Mateo and Industrial streets. ...

Cheese Fries - We've already gushed about the newly opened Portillo's a lot, but what's a little more going to hurt? The Chicago-area staple is a master of hot dog arts, but what some people don't know is the glory of Portillo's cheese fries ($2.29 for a small and $2.59 for a large). Since the creamy, hot cheese sauce comes on the side of the cr...

Golden Polenta Fries - There ain't a lot out in SoPho, but there is the House at Secret Garden, and that's enough for us. Its polenta fries ($5) are crispy and beautifully fried until golden brown on the outside. On the inside, your mouth is met with creamy, delicious polenta, which is absolutely addicting when dipped in its spicy aioli. Not you...

Chow bella with the classic Italiano appetizer at Andreoli known as the patatine fritte. The potatoes and leeks are fried lightly to preserve their earthy flavors, which go perfectly with the Giovanni-style tartar dipping sauce, a creamy, tangy pinkish sauce unlike any fry sauce you've had before. Grab your own plate at the North Scottsdale (by ...

Poutines - We're not quite sure why this little downtown Phoenix pub insists on pluralizing the word poutine, but its combination of chips and gravy is so good that we DGAF. Poutine, the original hot mess of foodstuffs, is common in Canada but harder to come by stateside. The seasoned chips are thick and potato-y in every bite and are not overpo...

Grab a seat at Zinc Bistro's chic French art deco bar and be transported to a land with condescending service and high-brow customers. If you're into that sort of thing (or can ignore it, like we can for great fries), you're in for a treat! Zinc's thinly sliced seasoned fries ($5) are tossed in marjoram and paprika for an exotic twist. The fries...

Baked Potato Fries - As if Joe's Farm Grill's perfectly crispy and evenly salted fries weren't the ideal fry on their own, they have to go and leave the skin on, adding another level of earthy flavor. But that's not all -- the Gilbert farm fresh restaurant crew then piles on sharp cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, organic sour cream, and chives (...

We thought we were in love with Joe's fries. Then we went to Bourbon Steak. The über-classy bar and restaurant inside the Fairmont resort in Scottsdale can be intimidating if you haven't properly attired yourself. However, throw on some nice clothes and eat quite possibly the best fries Phoenix has to offer ($5). The duck fat frying adds a level...

Truffled Frites - After a long day of Biltmore shopping and self-loathing at the small sizes with high price tags, it's nice to get away from it all and stuff your face with a bowl full of fries tossed in truffle oil and topped with shredded Parmesan. Thanks to Christopher's, you can do just that. Fork over $9 more after your shopping spree and ...

Sweet Potato Fries - Unless you own a private plane, there really isn't much reason to go to the Scottsdale Airport -- that is, until Zulu Caffe opened. The little gourmet spot specializes in a grip of healthy choices, but it also makes a killer side of sweet potato fries. The earthiness and saltiness of a freshly made potato fry is elevated by ...

Though primarily known for its innovative burgers (like the Sticky Monkey with peanut butter, bacon and grilled bananas), Hubcap Grill offers fries that can steal the show from the patties. The Hell Fries, thin strips of deep-fried potato topped with jalapeños, cayenne and chile powders, and a Siracha mayonnaise, are (irony noted) heaven for tho...

Two words: duck fat. The Burger Guys uses this unctuous oil to fry their Belgian-style fries twice, so they're piping-hot and crispy when they come out in their little paper-lined metal box. Like the fries at Little Bigs, they're even better when dipped into one of The Burger Guys' equally tremendous milkshakes. And now that the Guys are downtow...

Of the Belgian joints in town, we actually prefer the mussels at Jeannine's Bistro as well as the homemade mayonnaise, although the frites themselves at Cafe Brussels are better -- but only slightly, hence the tie. Still, the twice-fried frites at Jeannine's are nothing to scoff at, and are especially delicious at lunch -- that's when a nice por...

Of the Belgian joints in town, we actually prefer the mussels at Jeannine's Bistro as well as the homemade mayonnaise, although the frites themselves at Cafe Brussels are better -- but only slightly, hence the tie. Still, the twice-fried frites at Jeannine's are nothing to scoff at, and are especially delicious at lunch -- that's when a nice por...

It's all about two things at these two food trucks, which offer the best fries found in a moving vehicle in Houston: hand-cut fries and condiments. In the case of Bernie's, the fries have found their perfect match in the truck's homemade ketchup (which was so sought after that it's now bottled separately by the Bus and sold at Revival Market). A...

It's all about two things at these two food trucks, which offer the best fries found in a moving vehicle in Houston: hand-cut fries and condiments. In the case of Bernie's, the fries have found their perfect match in the truck's homemade ketchup (which was so sought after that it's now bottled separately by the Bus and sold at Revival Market). A...

The truffle-Parmesan fry is almost a genre unto itself now, but not every place that tries this method out gets it right. The two places in town to guarantee the best experience are at Ibiza -- one of the first places in town to offer this twist -- and at The Tasting Room, where we're currently fans of getting a cone of these fragrant fries with...

The truffle-Parmesan fry is almost a genre unto itself now, but not every place that tries this method out gets it right. The two places in town to guarantee the best experience are at Ibiza -- one of the first places in town to offer this twist -- and at The Tasting Room, where we're currently fans of getting a cone of these fragrant fries with...

Harry's feta-topped fries are quickly becoming a thing of legend for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that they're just as popular an order at breakfast as they are at lunch. That's right; the fries are so good that Harry's patrons aren't even willing to wait until lunchtime to order them. It's not just the feta and parsley on to...

The thinny-thin french fries at MKT Bar arrive in a bowl large enough for a table of four to split, so beware. Unlike regular salted fries, MKT Bar's fries are seasoned with za'atar, the sumac-based Middle Eastern spice blend that features prominently in many of the popular downtown bar's dishes. You can even purchase some za'atar of your own ne...

Although the wild game burgers and hot dogs are often the star of the show here (along with the elk tacos -- God, the elk tacos), don't discount the fries. They come in two iterations here: One topped with python chili -- yes, as in the snake -- and one called simply "Wild Fries" (shown above). Those are tossed with a fried egg, the yolk coating...

Garlic fries are a high-wire act. A timid kitchen doses its fries with just a hint of garlic (or, worse, a splash of some kind of ungodly garlic-infused oil). These impart none of garlic's pleasures but still, somehow, manage to ruin your breath. A careless kitchen tosses its fries with so much garlic that a single bite is like going down on Eme...

Since the state banned foie gras this past July, our Californian diets have missed a certain duck-based gluttony. Enter duck-fat fries: all of the tasty glory with none of the painfully inhumane treatment of animals. And in a time when In-N-Out's Animal Style fries have mated with carne asada fries to create all kinds of fried-spud-based debauch...

Hot Doug’s may be the “sausage superstore and encased meat emporium,” but its fries are nothing to scoff at either. There’s nothing too fancy here, just three types to choose from: regular, duck-fat, or cheese fries – all delicious, and they’re all priced to sell.

The menu of Aaron Confessori's Gallic-­inspired Westport Café and Bar features all of the good things found in a sexy Paris bistro: escargot, foie gras and steak frites. It also offers the best damn pommes frites in town. (Go ahead, call them french fries; here, they truly are.) Confessori's kitchen makes them in the classic style: "We slice the...

If you’re looking up “best fries,” then it’s safe to assume that caloric intake isn’t as high on your priority list as, say, a flavor explosion. Ben’s chili cheese fries will rock your world. When the chili is fresh and the fries are piping hot and cradled lovingly with cheese stuff, the world is all right. A big plus: Ben’s Chili Bowl’s “small”...

There are only two places on the planet that need to make french fries: Thrashers on the Boardwalk in Ocean City and Annabel Lee in Canton. And while Thrashers is old school Maryland, Annabel Lee amps up the frenchitude! The potatoes are cut thin, fried in duck fat—the most delicious fat in the animal kingdom—salted to what must be perfection, a...

You may be satisfied by limp, greasy, overly salted American fries, but only if you’ve never tried the cone of perfection that is the Belgian version. Try the crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fries at Potato Champion in the Cartopia food truck pod for a decent stateside representative: true Belgian frites with internationally inspired di...

Proving that there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, this Natomas eatery puts pork belly—that fatty, flavorful cut from the piggy’s belly—in quite literally everything: baked into mac ’n’ cheese, topping burger patties, sprinkled on salads, and, perhaps most deliciously, heaped onto fries alongside blue cheese crumbles and lemon aioli.

The legend continues at Bar Cento, where the Belgian-style pommes frites once again dominate the competition. Made by a classically painstaking process that includes frying, chilling, and frying again in ultra-luscious duck fat, these little golden batons are crisp outside, creamy within, and perfectly seasoned with rosemary and garlic. Served u...

There’s something about a great French fry. Sure, it will make you fat if you eat enough of them. Yes, it will probably increase your cholesterol and lead to heart disease. But we are willing to bet when you bite into one of the fries from P Terry’s, you won’t give a damn. These hand-cut, golden-fried beauties are what fries were meant to be.

French-fry fans are unwavering in their preferences: Some like them matchstick-skinny, others covet the pencil-thin version, while still others prefer pudgy. And then there's the issue of whether the french fry is intended to stand on its own, licked with nothing more than salt, or dipped in duck fat and blanketed with everything but the kitchen...

Sure, we have plenty of "fancy" options for the humble French fry in the Cities — cooked in unexpected fats, served with exotic seasonings, and served up like some kind of haute cuisine dish. If you are looking just for flavor, it is hard to beat the "chips" at the Anchor. It starts with the potatoes, which are freshly cut and then deep-fried to...

Say what you will about Guy Fieri, but when he visited Scully's Tavern for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the dude was onto something. The bar food is excellent, including popular darlings such as escargots and the potato-chip-encrusted dolphin sandwich ($12.25). But the French fries here are stars in their own right. Never soggy or floppy and alw...

Traditional fries have an old-school appeal that means they'll always be the most popular kid in school: the quarterback, the letterman, the prom king. But like the intense, art-school loner who charms all the ladies, there's something special about the orange-hued uniqueness of a sweet-potato fry. And when they're hand-cut and fried to a light,...